City Briefs for week of Sept. 18

Mukilteo has proposed a law in anticipation that the state will soon license businesses to grow, process and sell recreational marijuana.

Washington voters made it clear they want recreational marijuana legalized for adults when they passed Initiative 502 last year.

The initiative regulates and taxes marijuana similarly to liquor. It legalizes the possession of an ounce of marijuana for residents 21 and older.

With its passage, the state Liquor Control Board is tasked with licensing and regulating marijuana under I-502.

On Sept. 4, the Liquor Control Board capped the number of retail marijuana licenses to be issued in each county and some cities. Mukilteo was capped at one license. Snohomish County was capped at 35.

As drafted, the Mukilteo law would allow a state-licensed marijuana store to be located in the city’s light industrial zones – the same zones in which the city allows medical marijuana “collective gardens.”

The existing regulations for collective gardens would remain largely unchanged, except that operators would need to obtain a city business license rather than a “safety license,” as is currently required.

In Mukilteo, collective gardens are required to be at least 1,000 feet away from other collective gardens, as well as schools, day cares, parks, community centers, houses and apartment complexes. These rules would also apply to a store.

The city’s Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed law at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at Mukilteo City Hall, 11930 Cyrus Way. The commission will make a recommendation to the City Council.

The council is scheduled to discuss the proposal in a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, also at City Hall.

Council confirms Youth Advisory Committee

The City Council on Monday confirmed six members to the Mukilteo Youth Advisory Committee for the 2013-14 school year.

On the committee are Olivia Wiebe, Jae Won “Angela” Eun, Max Patchen-Short, Megan Swanson, Chloe Gandal and Ely Klem. Two of them are returning, four are new to the committee.

In 2009, the council approved the creation of a Youth Advisory Committee to serve as bridge between the youth of the community and the council on issues affecting youth.

Member duties include planning and participating in community projects, volunteering at events and serving as role models for all Mukilteo youth.

Councilmembers Jennifer Gregerson, Linda Grafer and Emily Vanderwielen also serve on the committee. The staff liaison to the committee is Krystn McArthur.

Olivia Wiebe is a senior at Kamiak High School and is serving her third term on MYAC.

Angela Eun is a Kamiak junior and is serving her second term on MYAC.

Max Patchen-Short, a Kamiak sophomore; Megan Swanson, a Kamiak senior; Chloe Gandal, also a Kamiak senior; and Ely Klem, a Kamiak freshman, are serving their first terms.

Each school year the members are appointed by the mayor and subject to confirmation by the council.

Club to plant 3 pear tree saplings

Three pear tree saplings that are genetically identical to the Fowler Pear Tree will soon be planted in Mukilteo.

The Fowler Pear Tree was planted circa 1863 by Mukilteo co-founder Jacob D. Fowler. The tree is now 150 years old, and still bears fruit. It is likely the oldest living pear tree in Washington state.

Two saplings will be planted in October at Rosehill Community Center and one at Pioneer Cemetery, where Fowler is buried. The city will also install commemorative plaques at each of the sites.

It will cost the city an estimated $1,450 to plant the trees and install the plaques.

The Mukilteo Way Garden Club recently helped the city take cuttings of the historic tree, and will be planting the saplings to mark its 80th anniversary. A date has not been set.

The trees will be planted on Lincoln Avenue next to the Point Elliott Treaty monument, in the rain garden near the community center’s lower parking lot, and next to the fence at Pioneer Cemetery.

The original tree is featured in a tiny landscaped park at 802 Mukilteo Lane. The garden club cares for the pear tree, as it has done for nearly 60 years.

The city has had several arborists take cuttings to root in a nursery to try to preserve the line. None of them took root – until recently.

Trying again, Bill Davis of the Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation took cuttings from the tree in 2012. Now a year and a half old, the “clone” saplings are ready to plant.

The Parks & Arts Commission formed a committee with the garden club to select the three best locations for the new trees.

The Fowler Pear Tree Saplings Committee determined that the growing trees wouldn’t impede any of the views at these sites.

The state Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation approved the planting of a tree in Pioneer Cemetery, as long as it doesn’t interfere with any gravestones.

City to install wall to prevent slides

A project to stabilize a slope off of 92nd Street to prevent a failure in the road is now estimated to cost double.

The city plans to install a retaining wall in October off of the 6100 block of 92nd Street that was hit by a major mudslide last December. Half of 92nd Street was closed for some time after the slide.

In the aftermath, staff hired a consultant to evaluate the slope and help stabilize it. After the design of the wall was done, staff went to bid for the project.

Staff received four bids, which were much higher than expected. It was originally thought that the project would cost the city $80,000. Now it is estimated at closer to $160,000.

Mukilteo City Council on Monday authorized Mayor Joe Marine to sign a contract with low bidder Ponderosa Pacific Inc. to install the wall and drains.

As designed, the retaining wall will be made from a series of steel beams placed vertically and deep into stable ground. Wood lagging will be placed between the beams.

The city had a similar wall constructed on Mukilteo Lane in 2010.

Included in the project is the installation of a drainage pipe in the ditch on the other side of 92nd Street. The pipe is designed to help keep stormwater from percolating under the road.

The price has doubled because staff only budgeted for the installation of the wall, not for the drainage improvements.

Staff said these two measures would reduce the probability of future slope failures.

Construction is expected to take about 2-3 weeks to complete, staff said, during which time there will be detours and traffic delays on 92nd Street.

City to repair Park Avenue bulkhead

According to city staff, the bulkhead on the beach off of Park Avenue is in danger of failing. It is old and in need of repairs.

The city has plans to repair the aging bulkhead next to Silver Cloud Inn with a wood facing and a concrete cap that slants at 45 degrees. Staff said the angle of the cap would help deflect waves back into the sea during a storm.

As it is now, waves breech the bulkhead and wash over the tiles, cement and into the street, degrading them.

Bigger storms will still break over the top, staff said, but the cement cap will reduce erosion caused by wave action.

A similar deflection is installed at Silver Cloud to keep waves off the hotel.

Mukilteo City Council on Sept. 4 authorized Mayor Joe Marine to sign a contract with Island Asphalt and Siteworks for $40,000. Staff received just one bid for the repairs.

A Silver Cloud representative was concerned that the modifications to the bulkhead may end up deflecting waves onto the hotel. City staff said that it wouldn’t do that.

The beach where the bulkhead is located is a favorite spot for scuba divers.

Call for artist for Rosehill exhibit

Mukilteo is looking for its next artist to showcase at Rosehill Community Center.

The city is accepting applications from artists to show in the Rosehill gallery. The art exhibits are for calendar years 2014 and 2015. The deadline to apply is Sept. 30.

Individual artists and/or art groups are encouraged to apply to display artwork in the gallery.

The exhibit space includes three walls totaling 80 feet and 60 hooks on which to hang art.

Applications will be reviewed by the Parks & Arts Commission. Artwork selection will be based on aesthetics, creativity, technique and suitability for display in a community center.

If selected, all artwork shown in the gallery must be framed and hanged on a hook.

Rosehill Community Center is at 304 Lincoln Ave., Mukilteo.

For more information or an application, call 425-263-8180 or go to www.ci.mukilteo.wa.us.